What's wrong with releasing CIA torture memos?

In his statement last week, he president gave three reasons for releasing the memos. "First, the interrogation techniques described in these memos have already been widely reported," he said.

"Second, the previous Administration publicly acknowledged portions of the program - and some of the practices - associated with these memos."

"Third," the president said, "I have already ended the techniques described in the memos through an Executive Order. Therefore, withholding these memos would only serve to deny facts that have been in the public domain for some time. This could contribute to an inaccurate accounting of the past, and fuel erroneous and inflammatory assumptions about actions taken by the United States."

"The United States is a nation of laws," the president said, and he vowed that his administration would "always act in accordance with those laws, and with an unshakeable commitment to our ideals."

Then on Monday the president visited CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia and spoke to CIA employees directly.

"I want to be very clear and very blunt," Obama said, explaining that he chose to release the memos "for a simple reason: because I believe that our nation is stronger and more secure when we deploy the full measure of both our power and the power of our values -- including the rule of law."

President Obama acknowledged the "understandable anxiety and concern" expressed by some CIA employees. "I understand that it's hard when you are asked to protect the American people against people who have no scruples and would willingly and gladly kill innocents."

He said America's adversaries "are not constrained by a belief in freedom of speech, or representation in court, or rule of law." But, he told CIA employees, "what makes the United States special, and what makes you special, is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and our ideals even when it's hard, not just when it's easy; even when we are afraid and under threat, not just when it's expedient to do so. That's what makes us different."

Acting based on principles instead of expediency means CIA workers have "a harder job," the president admitted. "And so do I. And that's okay, because that's why we can take such extraordinary pride in being Americans. And over the long term, that is why I believe we will defeat our enemies, because we're on the better side of history."